CSNPhilly.com reported it to be a four-year deal worth $18 million, with an annual cap hit of $4.5 million.

"The last couple of days, we got the deal done," Coburn told CSNPhilly.com. "I feel great that I'm going to be staying with my family in Philadelphia. I've been here a long time. I'm glad it worked out. It was a good process and it's nice to have it done so I can focus on hockey, not that I wasn't before but it's always nice to have it done."

Coburn, drafted eighth overall by Atlanta in 2003, has 26 goals and 88 assists in 393 career games with the Thrashers and Flyers.

The Flyers acquired him in February 2007 from the Atlanta Thrashers for defenceman Alexei Zhitnik.

FLAMES D ON IR

The Calgary Flames recalled defenceman T.J. Brodie from Abbotsford of the AHL to replace Anton Babchuk, who suffered a hand injury and was placed on the injured reserve list Wednesday.

Brodie has collected one goal and two assists in 12 AHL games this season for the Heat, along with a plus-4 rating.

The 21-year-old from Chatham, Ont., made the Flames opening-day roster for the 2010-11 season, but after three games was sent to the minors.

In turn, Brodie collected five goals and 34 points in 68 AHL games. He was also selected to the AHL all-star game.

Babchuk has collected three assists in eight games this season. He was a healthy scratch in five of the first seven games.

The Flames are expecting centre Mikael Backlund to soon return from a broken finger suffered in a pre-season practice, possibly as early as Friday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

BOUDREAU CRACKS WHIP

Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau put his players through a tough, two-hour practice Wednesday that left them gasping for breath.

Boudreau wasn't happy with his team's performance in a 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars Tuesday so he unveiled an old-school coach's teaching tool -- the bag skate -- in an effort to correct the problem.

"It's not something you do off the cuff," Boudreau said on NHL.com. "The initial thought is you're so mad you want to do something and then you have to sit and say, 'OK, you're mad, let's do the right things here. What's best for the group and everybody?' It's not something that you do every day because if it's one of those things that if you do it every day, it's not going to work."

The Capitals have gone 2-4-0 after starting the season with seven straight wins.

SAW IT COMING

Mark Letestu saw the writing on the wall so his trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets didn't come as a complete surprise.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded the centre to the Jackets Tuesday for a fourth-round pick, possibly a sign that Sidney Crosby is close to returning to action. It was a move Letestu thought was coming.

"The way Pittsburgh's depth chart is down the middle with guys injured and coming back, space had to be made somewhere," he said on the Jackets' website. "I'm excited that it was me. I'm coming to a place where I feel like I'm going to step into a role and play a lot more than I did."

Letestu will likely make his Columbus debut Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

KOVY SET TO SKATE

New Jersey Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk is expected to practice Thursday, according to coach Peter DeBoer.

Kovalchuk has missed two games with a lower-body injury but there's no indication when he might actually play again. The Devils host the Washington Capitals Friday.

Patrik Elias and Zach Parise were among a group of five Devils who did not skate Wednesday but none missed the workout due to injury.

CANADA ROMPS

Shannon Szabados of Edmonton recorded the shutout as Canada opened the Four Nations women's hockey tournament with a 5-0 win over Finland Wednesday in Nykoping, Sweden.

Canada has never lost to Finland in international women's play, going 53-0-1.

Jennifer Wakefield of Pickering, Ont., Vicki Bendus of Wasaga Beach, Ont., Jesse Scanzano of Montreal, Meghan Agosta of Ruthven, Ont., and Courtney Birchard of Mississauga each scored once for Canada.

Next up for Canada is a showdown with the Americans Thursday. Canada finishes up the preliminary round Saturday against Sweden.

BRIEFLY

Hunter Shinkaruk, 17, of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the CHL player of the week after scoring seven goals and four assists in three games. Malcolm Subban of the Belleville Bulls is the CHL goaltender of the week after earning two wins, one shutout and a goals-against-average of 0.49 ... The Columbus Blue Jackets activated goaltender Mark Dekanich off injured reserve and assigned him, along with forward Cam Atkinson, to Springfield of the AHL ... The Los Angeles Kings put forward Scott Parse on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Forward Colin Fraser was activated to take his roster spot ... Washington Capitals defenceman John Erskine won't be fined or suspended for his hit on Dallas Stars defenceman Trevor Daley, according to CSNWashington.com. Erskine was given a minor penalty for elbowing on the play in the second period of Tuesday's game ... Minnesota Wild forward Nick Johnson also avoided further punishment for head-butting Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla during a fight on Tuesday. Johnson got a match penalty for intent to injure but the Wild plans on asking the NHL for it to be rescinded ... The Boston Bruins called up forward Zach Hamill from Providence of the AHL on an emergency basis. Hamill has five goals and five assists in 14 games with Providence ... Chicago Blackhawks forward David Bolland is questionable for Thursday's game against Columbus. Bolland didn't practice Wednesday after blocking a shot the night before against St. Louis.